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Dragon
The dragon is a genus present in Equestria. Whether they resided there before the pony settlers arrived or not is unknown. Dragons are a race somewhere between reptiles and mammals, due to the extensive dissonance in interpretation across individuals (e.g. whether they are warm-blooded, and the design of their... intimate areas.) Dragons are an awkward race as their portrayal in the show canon is very by-the-moment. At some times they are played quite straight with poor tempers, fire breath, and extensive naps upwards of hundreds of years, but at other times they behave almost identically to ponies; at yet other times, entirely new biological functions not common in general dragon portrayal are included. Note that all below information may be freely spited by any individual inventing a new dragon character, due to the extremely wide and varying interpretations of dragons. Biology Dragons rest in an uncertain biological taxon, as each race and even each individual has differing traits inherent in reptiles, mammals, or even plants and fungi. Dragons generally have heightened senses, except for touch, which is diminished considerably by the barrier of their natural armor. Very specific spots on a dragon are overly sensitive and will produce a startled reaction, which is generally painful for the startler. Ego system The show has lightly indicated that dragons operate on an ego system, as Spike is seen growing dramatically in size due to nothing except for his own greed. As soon as he overcame this emotion and regretted what he had done, he reverted to his original childlike form. This indicates that the size and form of a dragon is tied directly to their self-image, and that by extension, dragons may be able to control their size at will with enough spiritual training. This is similar to Luna's dark emotions transforming her into Nightmare Moon (who is larger than either of her normal designs), Pinkie's significant change in hairstyle and facial expression when emotionally devastated, and a short gag where Twilight's indignant rage causes her to change to a glowing white, fiery-haired form. Thus, Spike, who for all his boasting and would-be manliness is still just a child and effectively Twilight's little brother, remains small and arguably adorable and shall remain as such until he feels he has grown into an adult. Breath Most every dragon has a form of breath, usually classified into one of several categories related to race, the fine details of which are unique to the individual's talents. The categories are: * Fire (e.g. Spike) * Ice * Wind * Acid (e.g. Lucelias) * Holy light (e.g. Celestia/Draco) * Weather control (Whimsey) * Other categories to be added later. Some dragons can utilize magic to grant themselves multiple breath attacks, as in the case of the (idled) character Cynder, who can breathe darkness, fear, poison, and something else. Diet A dragon's diet varies with the species. Equestrian dragons seem to be able to consume most gemstones. Such dragons generally find that the gemstone relevant to their breath power is delicious, while moonstone and rock salt are horrific. Whimsey seems to have a more pony-relevant diet, favoring fruits and vegetables. Lucelias was unable to digest any plant matter until Dusk Gleam biotech'd his stomach to be able to do so. Spike seems to be able to eat anything that will fit in his mouth, which he demonstrates regularly. Nesting Dragons generally find a suitable area with room to expand and create a cave if one is not present. Races that hoard, which are almost all races, then collect piles of trinkets - often composed of gold - and assemble them about the nest in what is best described as a clusterfuck. They will then sit upon their hoard each night to sleep, and will generally be extremely incensed at any uninvited tampering with their possessions. Other races, such as weather dragons, prefer furnishings more similar to those of a pony (or human by extension.) Skin, scales, and scuta Dragons may have either scales or scuta, which are in practice identical. Certain races may also have neither. Scales are hair-like growths that overlay across one another, whereas scuta are bumpy armor-like plates that generally avoid overlapping (as on the legs of large birds.) Both are composed of a substance unique to the race, such as keratin, copper, gold, or a mixture thereof. This dramatically increases a dragon's weight but provides an admirable defense against physical trauma. Certain races' scales or scuta are modular, and fall out in response to specific stimuli, such as the pinching of certain nerves or tapping a physical weakness in their scale structure. Underneath this natural armor, dragons are significantly more vulnerable; they also never have any such plating covering their undersides, leaving the heart, stomach, and crotch vulnerable when airborne. Dragons are accustomed to dulled senses of touch due to their armor, and may be startled or overwhelmed by mundane contact when naked. Society and culture Dragons reside in an enormous, sweeping country known as Draconia, which is run by a Council of Elders founded by Bahamut and led by the Gold Elder. As is fitting the land dragons choose to call home, it is primarily made out of really bigass mountains, with swamps and crevices hiding between the peaks. It also encompasses a desert and borders an ocean, and is directly adjacent to the Walking Woods. Their language, Draconian, is very guttural and difficult for non-dragons to learn or speak. Personality Dragons are large creatures prone to taking what they like, and thus often see smaller creatures as annoyances or insects. This includes ponies and most young dragons such as Lucelias or Spike. Due to the long lifespan of dragons, which number in the tens of thousands of years range, elders are highly respected and younger dragons (other than Lucelias) show great respect and careful choice of wording unless provoked (as Lucelias usually is as soon as such an elder shows up.) Religion and law Dragons worship two deities. They are the children of Io (aka. Ao, He Of The Sagging Left Asscheek), who may also be worshipped by certain cults; dragons are not limited to these two deities. Bahamut, also known as Paladine, Fizban, or the Platinum Dragon, is considered "good", and founded the Council of Elders. His sister Tiamat, also known as Takhisis or the Chromatic Dragon, is considered "evil" and has a number of heads given as somewhere from four to seven, with six being preferable for its role as an evil number. She was intended to be Bahamut's incestuous wife, but there was a disagreement on this notion and she was ostensibly imprisoned. Dragon laws, although vaguely similar to pony laws, tend to place thievery as the cardinal sin, higher than murder, molestation, or rape, due to the instinctive greed and materialism inherent in most dragons (though one would think "not being murdered or raped" would be a pressing instinct too.) Courtship and reproduction Dragons are preferentially monogamous, but some polygamous examples occur infrequently. Dragons are infertile for approximately 300 years, depending on the race. The symbol for a sexual invitation is a kiss upon the forehead or crown (the precise region hasn't been specified.) Dragons are NOT EVER known to do this accidentally, unless they are idiots like Lucelias. List of dragon races Elemental ;Fire dragon baby fire dragon]] :Available in many colors and extremely common so far as dragons go. Named for their archetypal fire breath. :Fire dragons appear to be wingless; whether this is only a trait of Equestria's dragons is unknown. Spike/Toko has developed wings anyway, because Toko seems hellbent on wings for some reason. Metallic All metallic dragons' colorations should be quite obvious. ;Copper dragon :Infamous tricksters. They breathe acid, as well as some sort of leg cramp gas. :Copper dragons have special wing shapes that sacrifice flight speed and durability for dexterity and maneuverability; this allows them to easily hover in place, which is difficult or impossible for most other dragons. ;Gold dragon :Ostensibly wise and lawful (Lucelias must have missed out on that part), they sport a fire breath... and the muscle cramp gas. :Gold is a fairly soft metal, and their armor is thus not as strong as other metal dragons'. :Gold dragons have both lungs and gills, allowing breath above and below water. Other ;Draconequus :Arguable whether they constitute true dragons or not. ;Weather dragon weather dragon]] :Lack scales or scuta of any sort! Their breath is adaptable and has various effects on the weather, such as hot or cold fronts or hurricanes. :Weather dragons' wings are pegasus-like and very sensitive. :Through unknown mechanics, weather dragons are immune to (non-extreme) heat and cold and can fly through any winds.